Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I very much value any submission that the committee might make on any matter. I see reference to this committee on the particular issue of age of consent. There is much expert view on the matter but I would not like Senator Noone to think one body of experts is right and another is wrong. Deciding whether to have a cut-off of 16, 15 or 14 is difficult. We are anxious to achieve a balance. It is not so much about having a cut-off point on somebody's birthday but of acknowledging the different levels of maturity among teenagers. Teenagers, including those right up to the end of their teens, have different sets of attributes and levels of maturity. One should not get completely hung up on the matter of arbitrary age. Instead, we should look at the protection available, acknowledging of course the threats associated with cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and grooming. We should take into account international studies and our national experience to ensure our legislative framework can have protections and safety measures.

It is something we need to do and I would, of course, be very happy to hear submissions and observations from this committee, having regard to its expertise. Nevertheless, I would not like the debate to be that one group of experts is right and another group is wrong. The Government was informed by the entire gamut of expertise available and, on balance, it arrived at the age of 13. It did so in the knowledge that there is a clear need to build in protections and safety measures of the type we have considered this morning.